Building my first gaming Desktop $2,000

[Drdrew00711]

Hi, just wanted to see what people with much more knowledge on this thought of my current part build. The price comes in pretty steep, and from what I've researched it seems that it may be way overkill, but I'm not sure:

Approximate Purchase Date: Sometime this summer, next month or so.

Budget Range: Around 2,000 before rebates, but will go as high as 2,300 for quality.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, internet, music, movies.

Parts Not Required: N/A, I need mouse, keyboard, monitor, everything!

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg

Country: U.S., MI

Parts Preferences: Just things that work well together.

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe down the road. Not quite yet, unless it works in the budget.

Monitor Resolution: Highest I can go.

Additional Comments: I want something that will be a very solid build and able to run most things thrown at it really high. I'm kind of meticulous about that, getting the best I can even if it means spending a little more haha it's my curse. Also looking to stay wireless for the internet, so that is included in the parts. And I have BluRays here at home so I'd like to have a computer player as well.

I've never done this before so forgive me if some of my parts don't work well together or if I made some stupid picks. Any constructive criticism is welcome! Thanks in advance.


Case- Corsair Special Edition White Graphite Series 600T Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case -$180
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139005

MOBO- ASUS SABERTOOTH Z77 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard -$230
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131821

GPU- SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 7850 OC 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card (11200-01-20G) -$260
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102984

PSU- CORSAIR Professional Series HX850 (CMPSU-850HX) 850W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC ... -$175
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139011

CPU- Intel Core i7-3770 Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I73770 -$320
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116502

RAM- GeIL EVO CORSA Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Model GOC316GB1866C9DC -$140
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820144590

HDD- Western Digital RE4 WD5003ABYX 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive X2 for RAID -$200
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136697

Microsoft SIDEWINDER X4 Keyboard -$50
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823109191

ASUS VE276Q Black 27" Full HD HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor w/Display Port & Speakers -$280
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236091

Logitech G9x Black Two modes scroll USB Wired Laser Gaming Mouse -$60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104261

LITE-ON Black Internal 12x BD Combo SATA Model iHES212-08 LightScribe Support -$80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106451

Rosewill RNX-N300X PCI Wireless Adapter -$25
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833166051

CORSAIR H100 (CWCH100) Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler -$115
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181017

Logitech Z506 75 watts RMS 5.1 Surround Sound Speakers -$80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121044

Grand Total before ship= about $2195

 

[g-unit1111]

That's a good start but on this build you're paying way too much in some areas (cooling, RAM, peripherals, CPU) and not enough where it really counts - the GPU. On a gaming build the two most important parts are the GPU and the PSU and you don't want to skimp or compromise in those areas. The RAM is not that important - you'll never use 16GB for what you want to use the system for, and that monitor is overkill. Put that in the GPU.

Do not purchase a Velociraptor either - they're overpriced storage gimmicks that don't offer any real improvement over what a solid SSD / HD combo will get you. On mechanical HDs, there's no difference between 7200 RPM and 10K RPM.

Try this:

Case: Corsair Carbide 500R - $139.99 ($10.00 MIR)
PSU: PC Power & Cooling Silencer MKII 750W - $109.99 ($20.00 MIR)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H - $199.99
CPU: 3.4GHz Intel Core i5-3570K - $239.99
Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 - $85.99
RAM: 8GB Crucial Ballistix Sport 1600MHz 1.5V - $49.99
SSD: 128GB OCZ Vertex 4 - $129.99
HD: 2TB Samsung Ecogreen F4 - $119.99
Optical: LG Blu Ray Burner - $79.99
Video Card: EVGA Geforce GTX 670 FTW - $419.99 ($10.00 MIR)
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium - $99.99

Total: $1,682.89 - $40.00 MIR = $1,642.89

More on the OCZ Vertex 4: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/vertex-4-everest-2-benchmark,3172.html
More on the GTX 670: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-670-review,3200.html

Then use the difference to get whatever peripherals (keyboard/mouse/speakers) and monitor you want and you're good to go.

 

[JamesSneed]

I agree on the SSD + cheaper hard drive setup above ^ Also you could keep the Corsair PSU but if you do look at something like the AX750 or AX650 which are still both overkill for your build. Many times on newegg you can get a combo deal for the PSU + Corsair Case or Corsair memory.

Edit: also completely agree on the Noctua NH-D14 over the CORSAIR H100.

 

[dudewitbow]

I5-combo

imo your paying too much for ram. you will never use more than 8 gb unless your working on professional field work, or have 20 bajillion background items on at the same time.

I also recommend what above says with the noctua cooler over the liquid cooling. liquid is nice and all, but comes at a price if it springs a leak. which can potentially take down the whole system.

 

[g-unit1111]

I5-combo

imo your paying too much for ram. you will never use more than 8 gb unless your working on professional field work, or have 20 bajillion background items on at the same time.

I also recommend what above says with the noctua cooler over the liquid cooling. liquid is nice and all, but comes at a price if it springs a leak. which can potentially take down the whole system.

That's why I very rarely recommend liquid cooling. If a fan breaks you just replace the broken fan. Not to mention most manufacturer's warranties don't cover water damage so you're screwed pretty much if that were to happen.

 

[RedJaron]

G has a killer setup listed. The only thing I'd change on it would be for a 256GB SSD. I'm not saying 128GB is insufficient, but a little extra storage space to keep more speed sensitive apps ( read games ) installed at the same time is nice.

A few other notes:

I don't bother with Wi-Fi on desktop machines. Then again, I don't have a problem running network cable to my desk. You might have that problem. If you want Wi-Fi, I'd rather get a mboard that has it built in ( Asus deluxe models usually have it. )

I don't bother with drive arrays either. Yes, if you know what you're doing you can get some impressive performance, but you have to know what you're doing. If you're running a SSD, you don't need an array.

Liquid cooling is completely unnecessary. It's bragging rights and some people swear by it, but moderate-to-high overclocks are more than attainable on air.

If you want a big monitor, I prefer 16:10 aspect ratios. The extra height is quite nice for productivity apps. The downside is you end up paying a LOT more for a 1920x1200 than a 1920x1080 screen. And I consider anything over 24" overkill ( I had a 26" and it was too big. )

Spend extra money on a good mouse. It doesn't have to be flashy and fangled, but a comfortable mouse with buttons where you like them is worth the extra money.

Speaking of spending extra, don't be afraid to splurge a bit on extra features. Things like USB/eSATA combo ports, card readers, drive docks, and powered USB hubs can be downright useful. If these are things you'd like, you've got a sizable budget to afford them. And it's been my experience that the majority of planned upgrades never happen as soon as you'd want them.

 

[g-unit1111]

G has a killer setup listed. The only thing I'd change on it would be for a 256GB SSD. I'm not saying 128GB is insufficient, but a little extra storage space to keep more speed sensitive apps ( read games ) installed at the same time is nice.

It's not really needed - I install my Steam folder and all my other games on the secondary, I wouldn't waste money on an expensive SSD drive and cut into your GPU budget, that'd be a waste if you ask me.

I don't bother with Wi-Fi on desktop machines. Then again, I don't have a problem running network cable to my desk. You might have that problem. If you want Wi-Fi, I'd rather get a mboard that has it built in ( Asus deluxe models usually have it. )

Yeah but the bad thing with those motherboards is that the wifi adapters are module based anyways and the premiums on them are much higher - I personally just use cheap network adapters and I've never had a problem with them. That's another area on a build where I'm really hesitant to pay extra.

Liquid cooling is completely unnecessary. It's bragging rights and some people swear by it, but moderate-to-high overclocks are more than attainable on air.

Yeah I'm always skeptical about experimental hardware - liquid cooling, fanless video cards, things of that nature. Tread very carefully in this area - I've built a lot of systems and have had more than a few fail on me and I'll never trust hardware that has a high fail rate.

Speaking of spending extra, don't be afraid to splurge a bit on extra features. Things like USB/eSATA combo ports, card readers, drive docks, and powered USB hubs can be downright useful. If these are things you'd like, you've got a sizable budget to afford them. And it's been my experience that the majority of planned upgrades never happen as soon as you'd want them.

That may be true but I always want to emphasize that you concentrate on what's inside the tower. You can always get the little things and accessories later. Card readers are great to have and that's one area where I do recommend from time to time, but there are some card readers that are just cheap crap. This is the one I use and I've found it works incredibly well: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820176021

 

[Drdrew00711]

Thanks for all the advice so far everyone! I'll look into it and cut down in places where you all suggested. I knew there was some fat some place to cut, the price just seemed way high. Thanks for the build advice too GUnit, I'll probably sub in just about everything you said haha as well as getting a smaller monitor as suggested by Red. Now about the wi-fi card, was that good enough? And if I grab an Nvidia card is 3D worth looking into at all? My buddy said no but I was curious what you all thought.

 

[Drdrew00711]

And is there anything coming out soon that I should delay my purchase for? I don't NEED a desktop right away (I have a 2 yr old laptop) though I'd like it soon!

 

[g-unit1111]

And is there anything coming out soon that I should delay my purchase for? I don't NEED a desktop right away (I have a 2 yr old laptop) though I'd like it soon!

Not really - both AMD and NVIDIA have released their flagship GPUs and the latest generation of Intel CPUs are out so really no. Unless you want to wait for IB-E but that's at least a year out and it's supposedly using a new socket from the rumors I've been hearing. AMD also has a new line of CPUs out next year that will be using a new socket but I'm not even sure that's worth waiting for.

 

[JamesSneed]

I second that, now is the time to build a PC. New Intel CPU's and new GPU's from Nvidia and AMD are out. Nothing will come out until December or January that will make you second guess yourself. Its very rare the stars align like this in the PC hardware arena.

 

[Drdrew00711]

Thanks G and James, and all the prior commentors. It's much appreciated! I'm thinking I'll order it all soon. It should be right around 2k!

 

[Drdrew00711]

Best answer selected by Drdrew00711.